Now Ye're Talking - to an ex-prisoner

Hazys

How dirty or clean is prison?

Do you wear your own clothes or are you give prison clothes?

GypsyByName

AidoEirE wrote: »

Hows it going GypsyByName

Fair play on getting your life back together, must of been hard so hats off to that.

If you could give any advice on a young lad heading into prision what would you say?

What's your plan for the future?

Is there a head prisioner guy in the section you were in where lads had to get permission to start dealing etc?

Advice eh......Best advice I could give anyone is to spend as much time in the school as possible, even if its stupid subjects they have no interest in! I did a good bit of art even though I couldnt draw a straight line, could snort them just not draw them! Your out of trouble in the school, go to the gym in the evening s if you can and wear yourself out, get up early in the mornings so your asleep early at night. Get a routine, thats very important!!

Plans for the future.....Not really sure...Im working away at the moment anyway and trying to become a better person every morning than the one that went to bed, thats enough planning for now!

Lads dealing? Pretty much the same as the outside I guess, ya dont ask permission but be prepared to face the wrath! or to have your **** robbed if you cant defend yourself!

GypsyByName

Hazys wrote: »

How dirty or clean is prison?

Do you wear your own clothes or are you give prison clothes?

I was a cleaner on my landing so it was immaculate Seriously though its got alot better than it was, it depends on the lads on the particular landing, if they want it clean its clean, if they have no respect then its filthy. As for individual cells well again its gonna depend on the individual. OCD is rife in prison but so is filth!

Oh ya wear prison clothes for the first few weeks but then its your own clothes, your allowed 3 sets!

Tell me how

Not being judgemental but bearing in mind that most people in there wilfully broke the law, do you think it's an adequate punishment?


Also, generally speaking, is it a deterrent against repeat offending?

Finally, if it isn't a deterrent, how would you deal with those that break the law?

Colonel Claptrap

Great thread OP. Fair play.

If I think of a prisoner I immediately think of the stereotypes - junkie, rough character, from a council estate, maybe homeless etc.

But I often wonder about white collar criminals or prisoners from affluent backgrounds. Do these guys keep to themselves? Do they mix well with the general population? Are they targeted?

Also, does everybody know what everybody else is in for?

Is it true that paedophiles, rapists etc. are treated like scum, or are they accepted as equals?

eoghan104

How does money work in the prison? I assume you made a few bob as a dealer, was this available to you?

Is there a shop in there for extra food and smokes and stuff or do you need it all brought in?

Great job on the AMA so far.

GypsyByName

Tell me how wrote: »

Not being judgemental but bearing in mind that most people in there wilfully broke the law, do you think it's an adequate punishment?


Also, generally speaking, is it a deterrent against repeat offending?

Finally, if it isn't a deterrent, how would you deal with those that break the law?

You really cant punish people all the same way, different people were in different circumstances, lets say someone stole €1,000 from an employer because his child was sick and he had bills like a mortgage to keep a roof over his families head.
A junkie jumps a counter in a bookies and steals €1000. Do you punish them the same?

Everyone has a story!

How do you punish them? Im all for try reform the individual first....if that doesnt work then you have to look at punishing them like they do now I guess.

GypsyByName

eoghan104 wrote: »

How does money work in the prison? I assume you made a few bob as a dealer, was this available to you?

Is there a shop in there for extra food and smokes and stuff or do you need it all brought in?

Great job on the AMA so far.

Your kinda pre judging me a little I never said I was a dealer, I was caught with an amount alright but wasnt a dealer as such, I was a naive individual who willingly agreed to store an amount of cocaine! This was to fund a gambling addiction, I did other things too like stole from a well known organisation too. I didnt have money, most gamblers never do!

But lets say I had money.family can leave money into your prison account for you and your earn whats known as gratuity or "grat" weekly. This can be spent in the prison shop on tobacco, sweets, toiletries etc.

Hoki

You mentioned gambling earlier - what kind of gambling goes on - cards , sports etc? What kind of stakes would be gambled?

Did ye have access to daily newspapers? Could ye watch big sporting events?

Is there good banter between 'country lads' and Dubs or do they just avoid eachother?

Last one, is it freezing in winter or is there central heating throughout the prison?

Cheers

SpliffPolitics

Do people from the same areas gravitate to each other? For example finglas lads all hanging round together in there.

Also what is it like for someone going to prison for a minor offence, someone who maybe looks soft,would they be bullied?

Lead

What kind of criminals were on your wing?

Were there gang wars going on back then like there is now?

JaMarcusHustle

GypsyByName wrote:

I did a good bit of art even though I couldnt draw a straight line, could snort them just not draw them!

I don't have a question, but I just wanted to say this is one of the best lines I've ever read on Boards!

major bill

Great tread so far.


Since you have got out, how different have you being treated by people you have known before prison and people you have met after prison?
Has life being harder? do you feel its harder to interact with some individuals when they do find out you were in prison?.

GypsyByName

Hoki wrote: »

You mentioned gambling earlier - what kind of gambling goes on - cards , sports etc? What kind of stakes would be gambled?

Did ye have access to daily newspapers? Could ye watch big sporting events?

Is there good banter between 'country lads' and Dubs or do they just avoid eachother?

Last one, is it freezing in winter or is there central heating throughout the prison?

Cheers

I was gambling a long time before prison, put two flies on the wall and id have a punt! Inside its mainly cards or football, some lads take bets on horses.
We had tvs in the cells...terrestial televsion only so if it was on that we could watch it. Champions league games etc.

When I was in Loughan House we played football every Sunday! Dubs against the Culchies !! It was good craic!! But very intense.

in general though they didnt really mix that well, I think country lads were a bit daunted in a Dublin jail, except for the Limerick lads.

GypsyByName

SpliffPolitics wrote: »

Do people from the same areas gravitate to each other? For example finglas lads all hanging round together in there.

Also what is it like for someone going to prison for a minor offence, someone who maybe looks soft,would they be bullied?

Wings were generally divided into areas, like one landing for Finglas, one for Ballyfermot etc. This was probably more by prisoners design moreso than prison officers, rival factions kept apart and so on. This was probably more by prisoners design moreso than prison officers

Lead wrote: »

What kind of criminals were on your wing?

Were there gang wars going on back then like there is now?

All sorts apart from sex offenders, i mixed with a bank manager, a drug dealer, an armed robber, a murderer and a beggar. You couldnt make it up!!

Ah theres always wars going on alright, its a bit like an episode of Corrie with all the drama sometimes. Sometimes you can feel the tension in the air before something breaks out!

JaMarcusHustle wrote: »

I don't have a question, but I just wanted to say this is one of the best lines I've ever read on Boards!

Thanks Im here all week!

major bill wrote: »

Great tread so far.


Since you have got out, how different have you being treated by people you have known before prison and people you have met after prison?
Has life being harder? do you feel its harder to interact with some individuals when they do find out you were in prison?.

I touched on this earlier, its funny because its been two fold, Im forever a scumbag now to some people and to others its like fair play to him, he went in shut his mouth and got on with it!
Employment was tough but im sorted now anyway. People will always have perceptions of me but in life there are 3 things you cannot change..1 People 2. Places .3 Things

eezipc

Did yu make any firends in there? Is there anyone you'd like to meet on the outside?
I met one or two people only one real friend id say, hes dead now.


That's quite sad. Did he die in prison?

Lead

Were you ever tempted to rat the person out who's drugs it was so you could get out or not get time? Even for a second? Did they not come looking for the money they lost? Does shít like that just get forgotten?

GypsyByName

eezipc wrote: »

Did yu make any firends in there? Is there anyone you'd like to meet on the outside?
I met one or two people only one real friend id say, hes dead now.


That's quite sad. Did he die in prison?

No he has since died but I wont go into it, heaven has got a good guy tho!

Sleeper12

There's not much you can tell me about prison that I don't already know.
I'd just like to say welcome home and congratulations on getting a job so quickly. Wish you the best of luck for the future.

GypsyByName

Lead wrote: »

Were you ever tempted to rat the person out who's drugs it was so you could get out or not get time? Even for a second? Did they not come looking for the money they lost? Does shít like that just get forgotten?

Not for a second!!

HeidiHeidi

GypsyByName wrote: »

Not for a second!!

Is that on principle / loyalty, or because you'd be afraid of retribution?

V interesting AMA, fair play.

GypsyByName

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

Is that on principle / loyalty, or because you'd be afraid of retribution?

All of the above!! Life is hard enough in there without making it harder for yourself!

Sinister Kid

Were you living with your parents when you got busted? Did your ma kill you for getting her house raided!?

begbysback

If you were back inside today, and you had internet connection for 15 mins - would it be boards or porn?

Gloomtastic!

GypsyByName wrote: »

Wings were generally divided into areas, like one landing for Finglas, one for Ballyfermot etc. This was probably more by prisoners design moreso than prison officers, rival factions kept apart and so on. This was probably more by prisoners design moreso than prison officers

Is there a D4 landing? :eek:

Thanks for a great AMA and good luck for the future.....

Neon_Lights

How's Fran after the pool cue debacle?

John_D80

Great AMA. Loving it. Fair play for doing it.


How well, or indeed not so well, do white collar criminals integrate with the guys who are in for drugs offences and assaults etc. ??


Were there any sex offenders on your wing?? Are they targeted for violence by the general population??

What about people who rob and seriously assault pensioners?? How are they viewed by prison population??

Tow

Do you think the Government should finish building Thornton Hall as:

1. It will offer better faculties to the prisoners, which are not possible in the limited size in the likes of Mountjoy.
2. It will same the country money in the long run, via lower maintenance and staff costs?
For example, Mountjoy has a ratio of around 1 prison officer to 2 prisoners, while the likes of a modern American super prison can (at the other extreme) have as low as 3 officers to 100 prisoners.

GypsyByName

Sinister Kid wrote: »

Were you living with your parents when you got busted? Did your ma kill you for getting her house raided!?

I wasn't a child, I was in my late 20s at the time and not living at home!

Lead

How much would you have got if you didn't get caught?